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Saturday, June 5, 2010

Curveballs for Jobu is Off Base Percentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy: Ken Oberkfell

Astros 3, Cubs 1. Carlos Zambrano made his first start since April 20. Not too bad: 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, but Felipe Paulino was much better: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 K. The win was the Stros' fourth straight, getting them to within one game of fifth-place Milwaukee in the race for 2nd-Smelliest NL Central team.

Twins 5, Athletics 4 (11). Dallas Braden didn't recognize the 612 (Minneapolis area code) and the Twins made him pay for it, big willie style. Braden gave up four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings and is winless since his perfect game May 9. No word on whether Justin Morneau, a New Westminster, British Columbia native is going to have V3L 0A2 tattooed on his stomach after a 2-for-4, 2 RBI night.

Mets 4, Marlins 3. R.A. Dickey, left for squirrel meat after a miserable 2009 season with Minnesota, has been better-than-terrible for the Mets. The knuckleballer won his third consecutive start, pitching 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball, and also went 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.

Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 6. There is a small sampling of joy in Phoenixville, mighty Ryan Roberts has just singled to center field. The pinch-hitter ripped a base hit off Manuel Corpas to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth and end Arizona's 10-game losing streak. Corpas pitched like he was auditioning for a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen: 10 pitches, 1/3 of a inning, 3 H, 2 ER.